Baby Got Back!

After a month of internet silence ... I'M BACK! So much has happened, and I'm just that awesome that I'm going to list it all for you to out there on the internet to read. Because I know you're there. Somewhere, you are.

July 4th
Oh the lovely day of Independence! I kept up my tradition of heading to the West Side and hanging out in Hudson River Park. Must say, the fireworks this year completely trumped last years. By a long shot. But then again, having the majority of the fireworks actually be red, white, and blue does tend to actually help. Just a thought.

The World Cup
Spain won and I wanted to punch someone in the throat. This is not an exaggeration. I was going through security at JFK when time was up, and all I heard was this loud rumble of cheer from down below.

Las Vegas
In turn with the above, I was at JFK because I traveled to the fabulous city of sin for my friend Todd's 21st birthday. We sent the week gambling and living in luxury. That is all I'll say, because, well ... it was Vegas. I'm not even going to bother reciting the expected.

Rhode Island
I took another road trip to the lovely New England state of Rhode Island with my friends Abby, Cayla, Lauren, and Elizabeth. After a total of 14 hours in the car, we kayaked, lounged on the beach, swam in a river, drove through Providence, and ended up in good 'old Beantown. All in all it was an amazing weekend, complete with a souvenir sunburn :)

Internship
I got one! Simple enough! I applied to work for MTV Networks a few months back, scored 2 interviews, and was then offered a position with Nickelodeon's Nick Jr. Development and Production team! Literally, the only negative is that my office is in the heart of Time Square, aka Dante's 8th ring of hell. BUT, there is redemption! The studio is amazing AND there is a Starbucks right across the road!

Good Craic
And last, but never least, I spent some amazing quality time with some of my friends from Ireland! We went to this pub down on 1st and 1st called One and One, had a couple of pints, and mused over the dream that was our Irish experience. Conclusion? We all want to go back right now. And see Michael West's play at the Abbey Theatre!

Now, I promise I'll be around more to give my little quips and opinions on random miscellany. Just you wait!

-E

I am a soccer fan.

courtesy of espn.com

I always have been, and I always will be. Without a doubt.

I played for about 10 years, or more specifically, until a side-tackle in the first game of the TCIS finals caused me to tare my MCL, meniscus, and chip my patella in 3 places. I haven't been able to bend a ball without pain since.

Needless to say, the World Cup is (usually) my favorite month. My inner soccer nerd comes out, I glue myself to a television screen, I scream like a madwoman, and I remember what it used to feel like to be out there on the pitch. I was never going to get to professional level, I know that, but college? Absolutely.

So when I watch a match like the USA-Slovenia one yesterday, I become more irate than any other normal person because I can understand how hard those men work, how much they love the sport, how much they want to feel that win. If you need a recap of the atrocity:

Courtesy of Jozy and Landon, we came back (in a World Cup first) from a 2-point negative in the second half and tied the game up 2-2. No, we shouldn't have had to be the come-back kids, but we were, so it was great. Bob Bradley must have whispered some words of wisdom, because we looked like a new team out on the pitch, come minute 46. Then in the last minutes of the half, on a free kick, we score the perfect third goal to give the US the win. And then the ref (Koman Coulibaly) called a foul and discarded the point. Now the catch it, there was no visible foul: no off-sides, no penalty, no bloodshed. So we were forced to settle for a tie when we deserved the win. It was a dirty call in what should have been a brilliant turn-around from the US, and it killed me.

I watched the match via Slingbox while in my office, and it would be an understatement to call my reaction loud. But why? People say that it's just a game, another sporting event, but it isn't.

The World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world and we are barely a pinpoint on that map. We are known for not rising above the groups and being embarrassed by the likes of England and Italy. But this year? No, we aren't great, but we're better than we've been. No, we shouldn't have let those 2 goals pass by in the first place, but people forget that our Keeper broke his ribs in the opening match but is still playing. A win, or even an advance, would help put us on the same level as the other European sporting countries, as apposed to just a shrimp on the playground. It's a way to boost patriotism and national pride, and couldn't we all use a little more of that?

To put it in a nut shell, Landon Donovan said it perfectly in an interview after the match: "You can't take away a good goal from a team."

Because it will crush them.